Author
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Martens, Dean |
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SCHUCH, U.K. - UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA |
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Submitted to: Proceedings of the International Salinity Forum
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 2/10/2005 Publication Date: 4/25/2005 Citation: Martens, D.A., Schuch, U. 2005. Non-structural carbohydrate composition in woody plants as indicator of salinity tolerance. Proceedings of the International Salinity Forum. p.43. Interpretive Summary: General responses of plants to saline conditions include osmotic adjustment, compartmentation of ions, and changes in carbohydrate and amino acid status. Previous studies reported that increases in water soluble carbohydrates are found when some plant species were exposed to saline conditions. However, water soluble carbohydrates constitute a very small fraction of the plant carbohydrate pool, which include non-cellulose carbohydrates (NCC) and cellulose carbohydrates (CC). NCC play an important role in plant metabolism and CC have essential functions in maintaining plant structure. Therefore, further investigation beyond just changes in water soluble carbohydrates in response to salinity stress are essential to understand plant adaptation to saline conditions. The objectives of this study were to determine how carbohydrate composition of salt sensitive and salt tolerant woody perennials were affected by increasing salinity in the root zone and whether changes in carbohydrate composition could potentially be used as a rapid screening tool to determine the salinity tolerance of different plant species. In preliminary experiments testing salinity tolerance of woody species we found that Acacia stenophylla, Cercidium floridum, and Eremophyla maculata were tolerant to electrical conductivity (EC) as high as 10 dS/m in the root zone. Conversely, exposure to irrigation solutions of 2.5 dS/m or greater resulted in biomass reduction of two cultivars of Chilopsis linearis and Tecoma stans, both members of the Bignoniaceae family. Technical Abstract: General responses of plants to saline conditions include osmotic adjustment, compartmentation of ions, and changes in carbohydrate and amino acid status. Previous studies reported that increases in water soluble carbohydrates are found when some plant species were exposed to saline conditions. However, water soluble carbohydrates constitute a very small fraction of the plant carbohydrate pool, which include non-cellulose carbohydrates (NCC) and cellulose carbohydrates (CC). NCC play an important role in plant metabolism and CC have essential functions in maintaining plant structure. Therefore, further investigation beyond just changes in water soluble carbohydrates in response to salinity stress are essential to understand plant adaptation to saline conditions. The objectives of this study were to determine how carbohydrate composition of salt sensitive and salt tolerant woody perennials were affected by increasing salinity in the root zone and whether changes in carbohydrate composition could potentially be used as a rapid screening tool to determine the salinity tolerance of different plant species. In preliminary experiments testing salinity tolerance of woody species we found that Acacia stenophylla, Cercidium floridum, and Eremophyla maculata were tolerant to electrical conductivity (EC) as high as 10 dS/m in the root zone. Conversely, exposure to irrigation solutions of 2.5 dS/m or greater resulted in biomass reduction of two cultivars of Chilopsis linearis and Tecoma stans, both members of the Bignoniaceae family. |